Netto teams up with Sainsbury's for British comeback

Netto previously operated in the UK with up to 200 shops between 1990 and 2011

Dansk Supermarked aims to offer the British consumers an alternative to the successful German discount chains Lidl and Aldi (Photo: WikiCommons: Tomasz Sienicki)N

June 20, 201415:48

by Christian Wenande

The supermarket chain owner Dansk Supermarked has agreed to co-operate with the British supermarket giant Sainsbury’s to bring Netto supermarkets back to the UK.

Dansk Supermarked – which owns the retail chains Netto, Føtex, Bilka and Salling – wants to offer the British consumers an alternative to the successful German discount chains Lidl and Aldi.

“The partnership with Sainsbury’s cements our earlier announced strategy that we will continue to expand in our existing markets, embark on new projects and sign valuable partnerships with successful and recognised players in the retail industry,” Per Bank, the head of Dansk Supermarked, said in a press release.

15 shops by 2015
Sainsbury’s will contribute with essential knowledge and expertise within purchasing, customer relations and the British market, while Dansk Supermarked has years of experience when it comes to purchasing and logistics systems, infrastructure and efficient operation in international markets.

Initially, the pilot project will consist of 15 shops that are expected to open at the end of 2015, although the first shops are scheduled to open in northern England by the end of this year. If the partnership turns into a success, the concept will expand to encompass all of Britain.

Sainsbury’s and Netto, which operated in Britain with up to 200 shops between 1990 and 2011, will both invest about 120 million kroner into the project.